Holder for toothpicks.



No. 800,787. PATENTED 001". a, 1905. a

B. BERGMANN. HOLDER FOR TOOTHPICKS.

APPLICATION FILED 0013.12, 1904.

Wfjness es.

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

HOLDER FOR TOOTH PICKS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 3, 1905.

Application filed October 12, 1904. Serial No. 228,236.

To all whom/ it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDUARD BERGMANN, first lieutenant in the ImperialRoyal Austrian Army, a subject of the Emperor of Austria- Hungary,residing at IV WVeyringergasse 4:0, in the city of Vienna,Austria-Hungary, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inHolders for Toothpicks; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame. reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to lettersof reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention has for its object a toothpickholder which fulfils allhygienic requirements, owing to the fact that by its use the toothpicksare always kept in a completelyclosed receptacle, from which only onetoothpick at a time is raised and allowed to fall into a trough or thelike, which is arranged outside the toothpick-receptacle and upon thislatter.

Two constructional forms of carrying the invention into practice areillustrated in the accompanying drawings by way of example.

Figure l is an elevation. Fig. 2 is a crosssection through the middle ofthe appliance. Fig. 3 is a cross-section on the line A B of Fig. 4, andFig. L is a longitudinal section of the first constructional form. Fig.5 is a crosssection, on a reduced scale, through the middle of Fig. 7.Fig. 6 is a cross-section on the line C D of Fig. 7, and Fig. 7 is alongitudinal section of the second constructional form.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 4:, the toothpickholder consists of a circularglass body a, which presents a slot 6 upon one of its sides, while bothits ends are mounted in an annular frame 0 of the stand (Z. The slot 5of the glass body a, into which in the first constructional form achannel-shaped metal strip 0 extends, Fig. 2, which comes flush with theinner face of the glass body, is closed by an upwardly-displaceableslidef, which is maintained by means of the spring 9 in the closedposition. This slide f is provided with two projections h at its twoends on the face directed toward the glass body, Fig. 3, on which anannular wire 2', which slides in guides of the frame 0 of the stand d,is fixed. This annular wire is connected at the other end with twoprojections Z of a movable scoop on or the like and serves, on the onehand, to efiect the guidance of the slide and, on the other hand, tooperate the movable scoop. If the slide f is pushed upward by means ofthe knob provided upon it, then owing to the intermediary of the annularwire 6 the movable scoop m also moves upward into the position indicatedin broken lines, Fig. 2. In doing this the scoop seizes one of thetoothpicks contained in the holder and lifts it until it arrives at theslot 6, whereupon it falls through the slot into the channel 6, formedby a metal strip. When the slide is released, it is returned, under theinfluence of the spiral spring g, to its closed position, and the scoopm also returns to its initial position.

The ends of the glass body a are closed by caps n, which mayadvantageously be attached to the glass body by means of bayonet-joints.

In the constructional form of the device illustrated in Figs. 5 to 7 theslide or door f closing the slot b of the glass body a is connected withsegments 0, which are rotatably mounted upon the spindle p. Astrip g,which is preferably of scoop shape, connects the two segments 0 one withthe other and serves, on the one hand, for guiding these latter, andconsequent-1y the slide f, in guide-grooves r of the frame 0 and, on theother hand, for seizing a toothpick in order to raise the same when theslide rotates over the inner face of the container a up to the slot 6 inthe glass body a and allows this pick to fall into the channel 3, formedin or upon the base-plate for the container. If the slide f is hereuponreleased by the action of a spring 25, it is returned to its closingposition.

To prevent easy and mischievous insertion of soiled picks ordead'matches into the receptacle when the cover or slide f is raisedfrom over the aperture, I provide an obstruction consisting of a flangea, formed on the upper and inner edge of the aperture 6, as shown inFig. 5. The lower edge of said flange being in the horizontal plane withthe lower edge of the aperture will cause a match or pick insertedthrough the aperture to fall directly into the conveyer and be returnedthereby when it is raised, and when the conveyer is in the raisedposition the slot is completely closed by the cooperation of theconveyer and flange.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my saidinvention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare thatwhat I claim is 1. A device of the character specified comprising atubular body having a longitudinal slot therein, a casing on each end ofsaid body,

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a carrying element in each casing, a conveyer secured to said carryingelements, and a slide on said carrying elements adapted to close theslot and operate the carrying elements.

2. A device of the character specified comprising a tubular body havinga longitudinal slot therein, a casing on each end of said body, acarrying element mounted concentrically in each casing, a conveyermounted on one end of each carrying element, and a slide on the otherend o1 each carrying element.

3. A device of the character specified comprising a tubular body havinga longitudinal slot therein, a casing on each end of said body, a Wireconcentrically mounted in each casing, a conveyer in said tubular bodymounted on one end of each Wire, and a cover for the slot on theexterior of the body mounted on the other end of each Wire.

A. A device of the character specified comprising a tubular body havinga longitudinal slot therein, a casing mounted on each end of said body,a Wire concentrically mounted in each casing, a plurality of guides forsaid Wires mounted in the casings, a conveyer Within said body mountedon one end of each Wire, a cover for the slot on the exterior of thebody mounted on the other end of each Wire and springs to normally holdthe cover over the slot.

5. A device of the character specified comprising a tubular body havinga longitudinal slot therein, a casing mounted on each end of said body,a plurality of guides mounted in each casing, a Wirein each casingslidable in said guides, a conveyer Within the body, projections on theconveyer secured to one end of each Wire, a cover for the slot on theexterior of the body, projections on the cover secured to the other endof each Wire, a spring in each casing interposed between the last-namedprojections and one of the guides, and a cap inclosing each casing.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention l have signed myname in presence of tWo subscribing Witnesses.

EDUARD BERGMANN.

W'itnesses:

HARRY BELMONT, ALvEsTo S. .HOGUE.

